**10. Crop residues and sugarcane agribusiness waste**

Straw is the main crop residue. There are also several types of waste from the industrialization of sugarcane, among them vinasse, filter cake, boiler ashes, and bagasse, which are routinely used in fertilization as sources of nutrients and organic matter. The amount of straw that remains on the soil after the harvest of sugarcane not debrided with fire varies according to cultivar and adopted agricultural practices; such amount ranges from 12 to 18 t ha−1 [22]. In studies conducted by [22] in the region of Ribeirão Preto, SP, it was verified that, among the nutrients in straw, only potassium presented a great liberation during 1 year of permanence of this crop residue in field (**Table 12**). Thus, with the exception of K, the nutrients contained in straw will not contribute significantly to the nutrition of sugarcane during the cycle following the cut.

5.0 kg of ammonium sulfate. After the composting process, 15 t of material per hectare were applied to the bottom of sugarcane planting grooves. The fertilizer 06-30-24 was distributed over the compound at a dose of 500 kg per hectare. The results showed that the compound presenting the greatest productivity was the mixture of 100 kg of bagasse +5.0 kg of ammonium sulfate, resulting in an increase of 55 tons of culms per hectare compared to the treatment that received only chemical fertilization. The cost of production and the application of the compound were equivalent to 23.5 tons of culms, and the use of this compound allowed a net gain of 31.5 tons of culms per hectare. The results obtained in this study showed that even though sugarcane bagasse is a nutrient-poor residue, its effect on soil physical properties, especially aeration and water retention capacity, resulted in a higher productivity increase than that verified for compounds richer in nutrients. However, it also mineralized faster.

, Geraldo Antônio Resende Macêdo2

and Alexandre Bosco de Oliveira4

[1] Oliveira MW, Freire FM, Macêdo GAR, Ferreira JJ. Nutrição mineral e adubação da

[2] Calcino D, Kingston G, Hayson M. Nutrition of the plant. In: Manual of Cane Growing.

[3] Oliveira MW, Trivelin PCO, Boarretto AE, Muraoka T, Mortati J. The leaching of N, K, Ca and Mg a sandy soil cultivated with sugarcane. Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira.

[4] Thakur SK, Jha CK, Alam M, Singh VP. Productivity, quality and soil fertility of sugarcane (*Saccharum* ssp complex hybrid) plant and ratoon grown under organic and conventional faming system. Indian Journal of Agricultural Science. 2012;**82**:896-899

[5] Pavan MA, Miyazawa M. Disponibilidade do manganês no solo: dificuldades e problemas na interpretação da análise para fins de fertilidade. Revista Brasileira de Ciência

, Jolberto Alves Martins3

Mineral Nutrition and Fertilization of Sugarcane http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.72300

\*

,

189

**Author details**

**References**

2002;**37**:861-868

do Solo. 1984;**8**:285-289

Mauro Wagner de Oliveira<sup>1</sup>

Vinicius Santos Gomes da Silva1

\*Address all correspondence to: aleufc@gmail.com

1 Federal University of Alagoas, Rio Largo, Brazil

4 Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil

3 Self-employed Agricultural Consultant, Nanuque, Brazil

cana-de-açúcar. Informe Agropecuário. 2007;**28**:30-43

Brisbane: PK Editorial Services Pty Ltd; 2000. pp. 153-193

2 Agricultural Research Company of Minas Gerais, Sete Lagoas, Brazil

Vinasse and filter cake are the main residues of cane industrialization. Vinasse, which has potassium, calcium, and organic matter as main constituents, is generally used for regrowth fertilizations and may, as discussed above, provide all the K for cultivation. According to the origin of the vinasse, the concentrations of the elements may vary, and chemical analyses must be conducted before its application. However, in general, the concentration of K in the vinasse originating from mixed must is, on average, twice as higher as that obtained from broth, with values ranging from 2.5 and 1.2 kg m−3, respectively.

Filter cake has a high percentage of moisture (approximately 75%), and average levels of P and Ca vary, respectively, from 5.0 to 10 and from 15 to 36 kg per ton of dry matter. It is used mainly in plant cane fertilization, applied at the bottom of the planting groove at an average dose of 30 t of natural matter per ha, or in total area at twice the dose. Considering an application of 40 t of natural filter cake per ha, around 10 t dry matter, with an average content of 7.0 kg of P per t of dry matter, there is a contribution of 70 kg of P per ha, dispensing phosphate fertilization at the time of planting for most soils.

The composting of organic residues, mainly of sugarcane bagasse, is one more option for the use of such residues in the fertilization of sugarcane and in the improvement of the physical and chemical properties of the soil. The authors evaluated the technical and economic feasibility of using organic compounds based on sugarcane bagasse in sugarcane plantation. The research was conducted in soils with a great physical heterogeneity and a high capacity of phosphorus adsorption. Different mixtures of sugarcane bagasse and chicken litter were tested, ranging from 100 kg of bagasse to 80 kg of bagasse +20 kg of chicken litter, plus


**Table 12.** Mass of dry matter (DM), amount of nutrients and structural carbohydrates in the samples of freshly harvested sugarcane straw without burning (1996) and in the remaining straw 1 year later (1997).

5.0 kg of ammonium sulfate. After the composting process, 15 t of material per hectare were applied to the bottom of sugarcane planting grooves. The fertilizer 06-30-24 was distributed over the compound at a dose of 500 kg per hectare. The results showed that the compound presenting the greatest productivity was the mixture of 100 kg of bagasse +5.0 kg of ammonium sulfate, resulting in an increase of 55 tons of culms per hectare compared to the treatment that received only chemical fertilization. The cost of production and the application of the compound were equivalent to 23.5 tons of culms, and the use of this compound allowed a net gain of 31.5 tons of culms per hectare. The results obtained in this study showed that even though sugarcane bagasse is a nutrient-poor residue, its effect on soil physical properties, especially aeration and water retention capacity, resulted in a higher productivity increase than that verified for compounds richer in nutrients. However, it also mineralized faster.
